Statement of Lisa A. Rickard, President of the US Chamber Institute for Legal Reform, on the Center for Science in the Public Interest class actionlawsuit against KFC, a division of Louisville, Kentucky-based Yum! Brands:
“The class action lawsuit filed today by the Center for Science in the Public Interest against KFC is a troubling example of a narrow interest group and their self-serving trial lawyer allies using a “regulation through litigation” strategy, rather than making their case where it belongs–the public policy arena.
“At their core, these suits doing little to advance the public interest. Common sense and personal responsibility should be the foundation of our society and reflected in our legal system. But sadly, these virtues are increasingly ignored as predatory lawsuits targeting deep-pocket industries become the norm.
CSPI’s lawsuit perpetuates a dangerous climate that only invites more frivolous legal speculation and illustrates the need for major reform. Their outrageous attempt to dictate through class action litigation what type of cooking oil KFC uses exemplifies what’s wrong with our legal system.
“We applaud the U.S. House of Representatives which recently passed the Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act (H.R. 554), and we urge the Senate to pass the Commonsense Consumption Act (S.908) quickly to prevent even more irresponsible food consumption-related lawsuits.”
